by Claudia Puig, USA TODAY

by Claudia Puig, USA TODAY

Nearly as exuberant as the original, How to Train Your Dragon 2 nimbly avoids sequel-itis. With its expanded universe, mythology and dramatic battles it nearly ventures into Game of Thrones turf.

This 3-D animated feature (*** out of four; rated PG; opens in select cities Thursday, nationwide Friday) is more ambitious in scope, though nothing rivals the joyful scenes from the 2010 original of a gangly teenage boy and his beloved winged dragon soaring over the Nordic landscape.

While the first movie chronicled their mutual coming of age, the follow-up has a tad more dark and fiery depth as it chronicles the adventures of Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) and his beloved green-eyed dragon Toothless. Each are five years older. Hiccup retains his gawky, all-elbows charm and cheeky wit. Toothless is no longer a pup, but he's all the more adorably expressive.

Hiccup is being groomed to succeed his brawny father, Stoick the Vast (Gerard Butler), as the tribal chieftain of the Norse village of Berk. Hiccup's not thrilled about taking the leadership reins, despite the cheerleading of his girlfriend, Astrid (America Ferrera). The fire-breathers, once regarded as a menace, now live peacefully alongside Berk residents.

The story opens with a dragon racing contest and leads to an epic battle in which Hiccup, his fellow Vikings and a slew of dragons are threatened by a power-mad marauder.

Audiences learn about Hiccup's origins, and about the broader world around him, including a bevy of new and exotic dragons.

The cleverly named Bewilderbeast is the most awe-inspiring. He is, however, not as fearsome as the human who seeks to control him, the megalomaniacal Drago (Djimon Hounsou) who hunts dragons and seeks to use them to do his evil bidding.

The tale has moments as warmhearted as the first, but it's grimmer in the way the Harry Potter films became darker as Harry grew older. Hiccup is not a teen anymore and his world is more complex.

Among those complications is the mysterious Valka (Cate Blanchett), a crusader for the ethical treatment of dragons. She runs a stunningly vivid sanctuary for dragons rescued from Drago's clutches. A veritable dragon-whisperer, Valka and Hiccup bond in surprising ways.

Hiccup is privy to a host of revelations in this odyssey. He also faces personal hurdles and is guided through them by his maturing moral compass.

The sequel, whose 3-D sequences are as enthralling as those in the first movie, has an epic quality, which dovetails with Hiccup's growing wisdom and maturity.

"We are the voice of peace, and bit by bit we will change this world," Hiccup proclaims, after fighting Drago.

A striking visual spectacle, Dragon 2 charmingly explores the relationship between humans and animals, and is especially poignant when viewed in the context of animal rescue.